My Little China Girl?

The embroidery and the frog closures are elegant and sexy additions that really make this outfit, and if the sizing had been correct and the cups had had their foam lining intact, I would have adored the China Doll set, even without the matching stockings!

Published:
May 11, 2013

Pros:

Sheer mesh; Delicate embroidery; Underwire cups; Frog "closures"

Cons:

Runs big; Came without stockings; Came without foam lining in cups

Rating by reviewer:

3

extremely useful review

BasicsThe China Doll Bustier Set, brought to us by Dreamgirl, is sheer and embroidered, with a touch of Asian-inspired elegance. The set consists of an underwired bustier with garters and a matching thong panty. The description says that it includes matching stockings, but the one I received did not. It's made primarily of nylon, with 10% spandex added in the stretch mesh sections.

Style & DesignThis bustier set comes only in red, possibly because red is the color of good fortune in the Chinese culture, which is why it's the traditional Chinese wedding color. (Or maybe just because red is a popular color for sexy lingerie, implying heat and passion as it does.) The color is not as deep as the product images show; it's brighter and warmer in person, more of a ripe cherry-tomato red. It features fully adjustable bra-style elastic straps and underwire cups (mine has no padding or lining). Curved plastic boning runs the length of the bustier at either side of the embroidered section in the front, from just beneath the underwires to the tops of the garters, as well as on either side of the center opening; there is no boning in the sides or back of the bustier.

The design of the front is beautiful, with its sheer, delicately embroidered rigid (non-stretch) mesh, scalloped edging, and crisscrossing elastic straps down the center, each embellished by a faux frog closure made of red cord. The sides and back are a simple, sheer stretch mesh, with fifteen hook-and-eye closures running down the center of the back. There are four garters; the two at the front are embellished with faux frog closures at the top of each garter strap. All four garters end in a decorative red satin ribbon and are fully adjustable.

The matching panty is your basic mesh string-side thong with elastic trim and a cotton gusset. It has a large white care tag attached to the center of the back, but this is easily cut off. The panty could have been made cuter by the addition of a couple of the frog closure decorations.

Sizing & FitI ordered the size 34, as I am 5'5" tall, weigh 140 pounds, and wear a size 34C bra (my measurements are 37-28-40). The bustier fits oddly in the cups, providing no support and actually flattening my breasts a bit, despite the underwires. Through the back, waist, and hips, the bustier is decidedly too big, so much so that I double checked the size tag to make sure I'd actually received a 34, and not a 36. It leaves extra fabric in those areas, which is not at all flattering. There is only one set of eyes to go with the hooks, so there is no adjustability in the fit other than the straps and garters.

CareDue to the delicate fabrics and spandex content, this set should be either hand-washed or washed in a lingerie bag on the gentle cycle, and then hung to dry. I would also recommend washing it alone or with like colors the first few times, as the bright red color might decorate other items of clothing.

PackagingThe set arrived on a clear plastic hanger, in a clear cellophane bag. The bag is long enough to accommodate the bustier without bending the plastic boning. Attached to the underarm area of the bustier is a cardboard tag showing the Dreamgirl logo and the main product image, with the model wearing the set. The packaging is not at all discreet, being completely transparent, and it isn't sturdy enough for storage or nice-looking enough for gift-giving. It's just there to protect the lingerie from being snagged or smudged during shipping.

Experience

As mentioned above, I only received the bustier and string thong, no matching stockings. In fact, I may have received a slightly different version of this outfit, as mine doesn't have any padding or fiberfill in the cups at all; they have only a sheer mesh lining. Or perhaps this was a returned item, and the previous person cut out the foam lining and kept the stockings? In any case, the style is really pretty, and I would love it if it fit me correctly.

Follow-up commentaryI still don't like it7 days after original review

As spiced suggested below, this outfit was sadly not what I had expected or what was described. I could have purchased some red stockings without too much trouble; however, the lack of lining in the cups and the too loose bodice of the bustier were the deal-breakers for me. I had ordered this to wear for a special occasion, and had to dig through my lingerie collection for a red bra/garterbelt/thong set that would work instead.

I really wish it hadn't been discontinued, as I could have exchanged it in hope of getting one that fit better, and had all its accessories and features intact! Unfortunately, I had to just return it for a refund. At least EdenFantasys has an excellent return policy.

This content is the opinion of the submitting contributor and is not endorsed by EdenFantasys.com